The Most Thoughtful Gift Of All
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: Melinda wants to give Mother Nature a gift for Christmas, but North Wind meanly destroys it. It's up to Uno and some help from Santa and Jack Frost to help Melinda give her grandmother a special gift. :)


**A story that came to me and I just had to write it. :) **

**Rudolph And The Island Of Misfit Toys and Jack Frost belong to their respective owners. I only own Melinda.**

* * *

**The Most Thoughtful Gift Of All**

Melinda was deep in thought as she sat on her bed, her face a look of concentration. Uno, her puppet friend, came up to her. "Melly, is everything alright?" He asked.

She smiled at him. "Hey, Uno," she said, picking him up and setting him in her lap. "I was just thinking about what kind of gift to give Grandma."

"Ah," he said with a nod. "She's coming over?"

"Actually, we're going over to her place for Christmas," she said. "I kind of feel bad that I haven't had a gift for her the past two Christmases."

"Oh, Melly, I'm sure she didn't mind that," Uno said. "She was happy to see you. I saw that when she came last Christmas."

"True," the fourteen-year-old girl said. "Still, I want to give her something, but what?"

"Hmm," the puppet hummed thoughtfully before perking up. "Well, she's Mother Nature, right?"

"Yeah," Melinda said, curious as to what her best friend had in mind.

"Why not give her something that's a sign of nature?" He suggested. "Like a gift made from stuff you find in nature."

The girl's face lit up and she hugged Uno tight, making him grunt and gasp a bit at the surprise hug. "Uno, you're awesome!" She said happily, kissing his cheek. "I know just what to make her!"

He chuckled when she set him down and ran outside. Curious, he followed to see what she had in mind.

Melinda looked carefully, picking up small sticks and some small pinecones. "Okay, now for a bit of pine," she said to herself, finding a small branch of it on the ground. "Perfect."

She looked at her collection, her idea coming together. "What am I going to do for the birds?" She asked herself.

"Birds?" Uno asked.

She smiled. "I'm going to build a bird nest out of these sticks, pine, and pinecones," she said. "I want to do a mother bird sitting on the side and three little birds in the nest."

"Hmm," the puppet said thoughtfully. "I like that idea." He then spotted something and smiled. "Hey, how about these small rocks? They kind of look like small birds."

Melinda looked at them and smiled. "Yes, that's perfect," she said happily. "Now for a mama bird."

They looked around before Melinda spotted a small stick that was shaped something like a bird. "This could work," she said. "I just need some feathers."

"Found some," Uno said, bringing her some large colorful red and white feathers and smaller soft white and red feathers. "White and red for the babies and mother."

"Great idea, Uno," she said, grateful to her friend. "Do you think Grandma will like it?"

"Of course she will," he said with a smile. "It's stuff from nature and she loves nature."

"You're right," she said. "Well, I better get inside and get working on this."

"Can I watch?"

She nodded and the next few hours flew by as she arranged the sticks into a nest form with Uno helping her out and while the nest was set aside to dry, they painted the rocks and put the feathers on them. Melinda giggled. "They do look exactly like birds," she said.

"Yeah," he said as he helped her put the birds in the nest and they both smiled.

"Perfect," she said. "I think she's going to like this."

"I think so too," Uno said.

But they didn't see two small sprites that looked just like the North Wind. Snickering, they flew back to their boss, who listened and looked angry. "That little brat isn't going to one-up me on giving Mother a present," he said before smirking. "Go destroy it. Make that brat realize that Mother will not want any present from a human who has no business being in the family."

The helpers snickered and did as they were told when Uno and Melinda had left the room to go talk to Snow Miser.

* * *

Later that night, Melinda went to check on her gift and her eyes widened in horror at seeing it was smashed to pieces. A scream left her and Snow Miser came running when he heard her scream.

"Sugar plum! What is it? What's wrong?" He asked, seeing his daughter was distraught.

She turned to him and pointed to her desk where the remains of her gift lay. "My gift to Grandma. It's ruined!" She said.

Uno gasped. "How in the world?" He asked in shock.

Snow Miser looked at the broken pieces. "What was your gift, sugar plum?" He asked.

"It was a bird's nest that I made with Uno's help and there was a mama bird watching over her three babies," Melinda said, tears running down her face. "Who would do this?"

Snow Miser saw a flash of purple and growled, seeing two small minions that looked just like his brother fly away. "North Wind," he growled. "I should have guessed."

Melinda covered her face as a sob escaped her and she turned to leave the room. Snow Miser followed to console her while Uno gently scooped up the remains of the gift and fell into thought before nodding, carefully placing the pieces in a pouch before heading out, finding Santa's workshop and going inside.

Santa was speaking with Jack Frost, who was telling him about the snow storm that Father Winter was planning for Christmas Eve. "Ah, it'll be a good one," Jack said. "Father Winter even said he'd make sure not to blow so harshly while it's snowing."

"Good," Santa said before seeing Uno. "Ah, Uno. What a pleasant surprise," he said warmly. "What can I do for you?"

The puppet took a deep breath. "Actually, Santa, I was hoping you could repair something for Melinda," he said, giving the jolly man a small sack. "Melinda made a beautiful gift for Mother Nature, but North Wind smashed it."

"Ah, he still hasn't learn how to accept the girl," Santa said sadly as he went over to a table and gently shook the pieces from the small sack. Jack Frost looked at them sadly.

"What was it?" He asked.

"A bird's nest with a mother bird and three small babies," Uno said.

"And all made from nature," Santa said, smiling softly and nodding. "I believe I can repair this."

All it took was a little magic and the gift was restored. Jack looked at it thoughtfully. "Hey, can I add a little something to it?" He asked. "For Melinda?"

"Of course, Jack," Santa said.

Jack Frost gently blew onto the gift and a small bit of frost formed on the pinecones and the pine needles while the rest was covered in a thin layer of ice that not only made the gift shine, but look good as new. "There," he said. "That ice is unbreakable. I rarely use it, but I think Father Winter would agree that this is a special reason."

Uno was in awe. "Thank you, Jack. Thank you, Santa," he said before noticing the time. "Oh! I was supposed to go with Melinda and Snow Miser to Mother Nature's home tonight."

"I'll take you there," Santa said kindly.

* * *

Melinda was sitting with her grandmother. "I had a gift for you, Grandma, but someone destroyed it," she said sadly.

"Oh, don't be sad, dear," the kindly woman said. "My gift is you coming here to visit me and spend Christmas with me."

"And that's the best Christmas present ever," said Heat Miser as he came in, placing a hand on his niece's shoulder.

Melinda smiled at her uncle gratefully before they jumped at seeing Snow Miser dragging in North Wind by his ear. The icy miser pushed his brother in front of him. "Now, you apologize to my daughter for what you did," he said sternly.

North Wind scoffed. "Snowy, you really are a hoot," he said. "You can't prove anything."

"I saw two of your helpers flying away and who else would do something so vile?"

"Perhaps Heat Miser did."

Snow Miser was really getting hot under the collar and Mother Nature looked disapprovingly at North Wind, but before anything more could be said, a knock came at the door. "Come in," Mother Nature called out.

Santa Claus came in with Uno behind him and the puppet had something behind his back. "North Wind, you have caused a lot of trouble for a young girl," Santa said firmly. "For that, I have taken the liberty of asking Father Winter to see to a fitting punishment."

Father Winter himself appeared right then and he didn't look very happy. "First you try to replace Santa and now you destroy a gift someone made with their own two hands?" He asked, his voice deep. He bowed to Mother Nature. "Forgive me, Mother Nature, but I believe a temporary loss of power might be in order."

"I agree," she said, standing up and looking at her purple-suited son, who looked worried. "North Wind, your powers shall be gone until Christmas and you will be doing chores for me as well."

A purple light flashed around North Wind and he looked defeated. "And you will also be doing chores for me," Father Winter said. "First off is to sweep the stars."

"Then you will return and clean the stables," Mother Nature said before Father Winter took a chastised North Wind up into the clouds.

Uno gently cleared his throat and went up to Mother Nature, looking very bashful. "Um, Mother Nature, Melinda made this for you," he said, holding out a wrapped box to her. "Santa and Jack helped me to fix it after North Wind had broken it."

Melinda looked at him and gasped as she saw the gift looked like knew with a new touch. Mother Nature gasped. "It's beautiful!" She said. "Oh, Melinda. What a thoughtful gift."

The teenager smiled. "Well, I can't take all the credit," she said, hugging her best friend. "My best friend helped me out, along with Santa and Jack."

She stood up and hugged them. "Thank you," she said softly.

"It was my pleasure, Melinda," Santa said.

"I was more that happy to help out someone who came up with such a thoughtful gift for Mother Nature," Jack said with a smile.

Mother Nature placed her gift on the mantle above the fireplace. "There, now I and everyone can see the wonderful gift that my granddaughter and her friends made for me," she said.

Snow Miser smiled as he saw that and nodded his thanks to Santa and Jack before hugging his daughter. "I'm proud of you, sugar plum," he said.

"Thanks, Daddy," she said with a smile.

Uno smiled too and looked at Mother Nature, who smiled back at him. "Well, now that everyone is here, how about we get to Christmas dinner?" She asked.

That was met with agreement and as they headed for the dining room, Melinda scooped up Uno and hugged him again. He returned her hug happily while in the living room, the gift seemed to glow with the magic of both family love and Christmas.

* * *

**This one really took off on me. :) **

**Merry Christmas, everyone! Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


End file.
